A Warrior is Born
by LuciusLace
Summary: Jessper Marbrow is on a road to become the most powerful Sith in the galaxy, and he won't let anything or anyone get in the way. An expanded storyline based on the SWTOR Sith Warrior path.


Jessper stepped off the Imperial Shuttle, out into the strange planet of Korriban. He was used to deserts, he'd lived on Tatooine for a good part of his of his life, but unlike Tatooine, Korriban wasn't sweltering hot. It was just warm enough that it was a nice change of pace from the frigid forests of Ziost that he'd gotten accustomed to in the past years.

Walking down onto the landing platform and descending a set of stairs, he spotted an older, dark skinned man walking towards him with a polite smile on his face, although he didn't look like the type to smile.

"At last, you've arrived," he said. "Good, good. There is much to do and every moment is critical. I'm Overseer Tremel. For decades, I have administered the trials that prove who is and is not worthy to join the Sith order. The trials are a chance to weed out the weak. Those who face them either survive and become Sith, or die."

"I have no plans on dying. I was born to be Sith," Jessper said with certainty.

"Is that so? Well, it wasn't destiny that brought you here."

Tremel beckoned Jessper to walk with him, and he followed, after waving off the two Imperial guards under his command.

"Yes, you are here and ahead of schedule because of me," Tremel went on, as the two walked towards the entrance of the Sith Academy, "but I expect you to obey."

They stopped right in front of the entrance.

"You face your trials, you serve me, and I will make you the most powerful acolyte here."

Jessper almost laughed. He could tell this that 'Overseer Tremel' was nothing compared to the strongest Sith that could aid him. He could even feel through the force now that his power and resolve was lacking greatly, and his weakness was thinly veiled by the air of authority he put on. Nevertheless, parts had to be played for the greater good.

"I am grateful. I'll follow your every word," Jessper responded obediently.

"Glad to hear. The trials themselves are difficult enough, but they are hardly the greatest threat you'll ever face. There's an acolyte named Vemrin here. He will try to kill you, so we must prepare you."

Jessper did laugh this time, "Let him try. I'll destroy him."

"In time. With my guidance, you'll destroy all your enemies. For now though, the blade you've arrived with," Tremel pointed at the practice sword on Jesspers back, "is insufficient. You need a dominating weapon. In the tomb of Ajunta Pall, there's an old armory. A strong Sith warblade awaits you there. K'lor'slugs, very deadly creatures, also await you in the tomb so be quick, but keep your awareness sharp."

"I've got no problem slaughtering a slug that steps in my path."

Tremel looked grim, "Such slugs have been the end of many an acolyte. Nonetheless, I suggest you spend some time bloodying your blade once you acquire it. Then come to me in my chambers in the Academy.

Jessper nodded and Tremel was off. Jessper wasn't happy that he had to take orders from someone this weak, but he knew his time would come. From the moment he spotted him, he knew he'd end up killing Tremel. Very soon.

The trek to the tomb was not long, but Jessper already found himself sweating from the heat. He was becoming quite annoyed that the moisture was making his long hair sweep in front of his eyes, so he quickly fixed a small ponytail into the back of his head. Things were off to a great start.

As he approached the tomb, he spotted the abominations that he could only guess were the

K'lor'slugs. A fleshy red color, rows upon rows of teeth and more legs than he cared to count, they were quite the hideous sight. He drew his training blade. This would still have no trouble cutting through something like that.

He was very right. The first two he encountered made a mad dash for him, but he smoothly sidestepped them and nearly bisected one with a single swing of the sword. Instead, the blade stopped halfway into the creature and it fell limp to the ground. The other slug went back on the attack, not caring for it's fallen brethren, but Jessper swiftly cut it down with an overhead strike.

This Tremel really must have taken him for a fool.

Sheathing the blade and continuing on his way down a set of stairs, a soldier with a set of red armor beckoned him over, stationed behind a couple of boxes. Wounded soldiers lie all around him, with only one person to tend to them.

"Excuse me, acolyte. Sergeant Cormun, Fifth Infantry company, Korriban regiment. May I- may I speak with you?"

Jessper was amused at how much the man seemed to fear him, despite never being acquainted with him before.

"Speak quickly."

"You're the acolyte Overseer Tremel had brought in special, right? Heading down to the tomb to show what you're made of?"

He was getting a little too friendly now.

"Keep your mind on the battle," Jessper said, annoyed.

Cormun flushed lightly, "Apologies if I offended. I just thought you might appreciate the chance to not only show off for the overseers but build ties with the Imperial military as well. I'm here commanding a hard target mission to exterminate K'lor'slugs in this tomb. They're... horrific things. Mouths bigger than your head! I've already lost three squads of good men fighting them. These beasts come in packs – they just... they'll swallow a man whole!" Cormun explained.

Jessper shrugged, "It seems your men need better training. That is not my place."

"Those men were battle-hardened!" Cormun was visibly angry at his lack of empathy, "The enemy has more numbers. The damn K'lor'slugs breed so fast there's no way to wipe them out conventionally. So, we started targeting their egg chambers. We managed to get explosives to all the egg chambers, but the K'lor'slugs were all over us before we could detonate them."

The acolyte sighed. These were Imperial men, after all. Leaving them helpless here only hurt them in the long run. Plus, these slugs weren't very hard to kill en masse, so it wouldn't be too big of a time waste.

"Perhaps I could be of assistance then."

"Don't underestimate those K'lor'slugs, sir. They're smarter than they look," Cormun warned.

'If only you and your men were smarter than you looked, we wouldn't have this problem,' Jessper thought as he stalked off to the bomb site.

The explosion a few minutes later rang out across the entire tomb, so Jessper knew he had no need to return to the Sergeant. He hoped for the good of the Empire, that the man was more competent that he appeared.

Continuing into the tomb he ran into a couple of tomb raiders who bit off more than they could chew, and ended up corpses on the floor until the slugs would stumble upon them.

It took him a few hours to navigate the labyrinth of the tomb and reach the final chamber. When he did, he took notice of the many inactive training droids that seemed to line the walls of this chamber. It appeared that he wouldn't be leaving this tomb without another fight.

Stepping into the chamber, he ascended a set of worn stairs that practically were crumbling under him with each step, until a rack with the warblade he'd been searching for hanging off of it. This was much more his style. The blade looked much deadlier and upon ignition, the energy flowing through it was bright red as opposed to the dull glow of the other training blade, which he quickly discarded on the ground.

To no surprise of his, four of the training droids seemed to spring to life in front of him, wielding blasters and training swords similar to the one he just discarded. He quickly deflected a blaster shot aimed for his head and bounced it right back into the torso of the droid, knocking it down in a smoking heap. Two more droids with training swords advanced on him and he took a slightly defensive one handed stance. There was still another droid behind the two prepared to fire shots at him at will.

He engaged one droid, his new blade meeting the droids' and without hesitation, the other training droid pounced at him. The acolyte quickly pushed back the first droid and met the other droid's aggressive swipe with one of his own. Then, within a heartbeat, he switched targets and split the first droid down the middle with an overhead swing.

A blaster shot flew past his ear. He'd almost forgotten about the other droid for a fraction of a second. He locked swords again with the aggressive droid and made sure his opponent was always blocking the blaster's line of sight. The human and the droid traded blow for blow for a few seconds, before Jessper stepped back and shot his hand out. The droid flew back with the power of the force, smashing into the final droid and becoming nothing but scrap metal.

'Quite a spectacle he had planned for me,' Jessper thought, sheathing the warblade on his back.

The trek up the large ramp to the Academy's true entrance was the hardest thing he'd had to endure all day, and he was not enjoying it.

'You'd think they would add stairs to the place, but none in sight. Just ramps,' Jessper's internal monologue had been going for quite some time now, but it was reaching its end as he finally approached the entrance.

He'd never been here before, but it didn't surprise him at how grand everything was. Countless towering statues lining the hallways, a giant banner donning the Imperial symbol, guards donning red armor at every turn. Nothing less was to be expected from the empire. What did surprise him, was the sheer power he felt coming from here. The dark side of the force was thriving here and the power of the Sith was in plain display.

Jessper made his way through the maze of hallways, taking glances at his holomap to assure he wouldn't lose his way in this vast building. There were more turns in here than there were in the tomb. Finally he made his way to a staircase blocked off by guards, who allowed him through after stating that he was the acolyte Tremel had brought in.

He made his way down the stairs and through the long hall that lead to Tremel's office. Rounding the corner, he almost ran head on into two men that were standing against the wall, talking.

"Hey there, acolyte," the smaller of the two men addressed Jessper, "Hold on a moment. Let me get a look at you."

Jessper stopped. This odd man wanted to 'get a look at him'?

"So you're Overseer Tremel's secret weapon, eh?" The man's words were dripping with hatred, or envy, "Impressive, to be sure. Afraid the old man waited too long to make his move, though."

Jessper stared back at him. The cross shaped scar etched on his face made him look even more nasty than he naturally did.

"I'm Vemrin, and unlike you I've fought and bled for everything I have. I demand respect."

'So this is the Vemrin that Tremel mentioned earlier,' Jessper noted.

He had a strong aura of hatred coming from him, but he still felt weak at the core. His bravado was much more potent than his power.

"If you test me any more, you'll be bleeding again. I suggest you move on," Jessper warned with an unamused look.

Vemrin scoffed, "Believe it or not, I'm trying to keep you from getting killed. If Overseer Tremel made his move a year ago, when I first arrived, you might've had a chance. But now- too little, too late."

Jessper still didn't know what Vemrin was talking about, but for some reason, he was threatened by him. However, it didn't really matter. Vemrin would have to learn his place if he didn't back down quickly.

"This is ridiculous Vemrin," the larger, brutish looking man cut in now, "let's just kill him and hide the body."

Vemrin looked annoyed, "We're not on Balmorra anymore, Dolgis. There are rules. Traditions. We'll leave the shortcuts to Overseer Tremel and his last pathetic hope here."

Jessper was getting very irritated at this point. They spoke as though they had power over him.

"I'm going to take what's yours," Jessper said with a smile, "and I'm going to kill you."

Vemrin looked taken aback.

"Both," Jessper added, looking at Dolgis.

"You have no idea the enemy you're making," Vemrin was clutching his fist as he walked away, "Are you coming, Dolgis?"

"Just a second, Vemrin."

Dolgis got closer to Jessper. He was on edge now, ready to draw his sword and gut the man if he moved any more. But there was no need.

"Listen to me, you useless priss. Acolytes aren't allowed to murder each other. But accidents happen. It isn't murder without witnesses. No more warnings. Vemrin's the alpha monster here. You go after him, you die."

Dolgis pulled away from him and followed Vemrin down the hall.

"As if," Jessper said to himself as he shook his head and headed into the Tremel's office. Hopefully, he'd truly get to bloody his blade soon.

"Good," Overseer Tremel put on his polite, stern smile again when his prize acolyte walked in the room, "you've returned in one piece. Tell me, how do you like your new blade?"

"It will do, for now." Jessper replied with a shrug.

"What are you doing, Father? I only just got my warblade, and I've been here six months."

Jessper noticed the woman in the room, but he paid her no mind until she spoke. Now that he'd seen here, she really did bear an uncanny resemblance to Overseer Tremel.

"I have my reasons, Eskella. You will not breathe a word of this to anyone. Do you hear?" Overseer Tremel was looking down on her.

Eskella nodded and looked towards the ground, "Yes, Father."

"Acolyte, this is Eskella, my daughter. She's one of the advanced students here. On her way to becoming Sith. If she minds herself," Tremel explained.

"I'll keep quiet about your new charge, Father," Eskella sounded bitter, "but I won't be there if whatever you're planning blows up in your face."

Without another word, she walked out the room and down the hallway.

'Jealously. What a potent emotion,' Jessper thought to himself with an internal smirk.

"Don't mind her. She's just sore that I'm keeping secrets. She growls but she's loyal." Tremel explains, "Now, I thought I heard Vemrin's voice in the adjacent chamber before you arrived. Did he make his move so soon?"

Jessper thought back to his encounter a few moments ago, "He did, and I can't wait to kill him."

Tremel nodded, "If things go well, you will have that satisfaction someday. Still, I'd hoped we'd have more time. Vemrin's not the type to sniff around for too long before trying to take a bite. In a drive for sheer numbers the criteria for Academy admittance has been relaxed. Now anyone with Force sensitivity is allowed entrance. Vemrin, however, is mixed blood. The invisible rot eating at the foundation of the Empire. He must not be allowed to advance."

"So, we both want him dead. This should be simple."

Jessper was eager to spill blood, and even better that it was someone he loathed.

Tremel shook his head and paced in front of his desk, "Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Vemrin's caught the eye of Darth Baras, one of the most influential Sith Lords. He's being groomed to be Baras's new apprentice. As Darth Baras's apprentice, the power at Vemrin's fingertips will be considerable. He could change the Sith for the worse. You must proceed to your next trial immediately. I want you to interrogate the prisoners in the Academy jails and decide their fates. Your decisions will be scrutinized, so let your passions guide your judgements. "

Jessper nodded, "I will handle whatever you ask."

"Speak with the head jailer Knash and return to my chambers when you've passed your judgements."

Tremel walked back to his desk and sat down, shaking his head as Jessper walked out the room, making his way to the jails.

"One more chirp from you little bird, and you'll regret it."

"Chirp, chirp, chirp."

The man pressed a button and the shock collar on the Twi'lek's neck jolted with electricity, and she convulsed for a minute.

Jessper was quite amused by the scene he'd walked in on. He wasn't particularly fond of the shock collar at all, but he found the girl funny.

"Ow! Jerk! If you don't like that, just say so. I can do other animals too, Dire-cat, frog-dog, Kowakian monkey-lizard, you name it," The Twi'lek seemed largely unphased by the shock after the initial pain.

The jailer turned towards Jessper, "You. I'm Jailer Knash. I run these cells and slave pits. You're

the acolyte Tremel set to test, right? Hmm. He thinks highly of you."

"No need for the introduction," Jessper said blandly, "I'm not intending to spend my day here."

"Fine by me. These prisoners have been transferred here for your inspection. Interrogate them as needed, and decide their fate. The convicted are either executed or given a trial by combat to see if they're worthy. Either way, you will be the one to carry out the sentence," Knash explained.

"As it should be," Jessper responded.

Knash looked indifferent, "Let's get started then. This one on the left-"

He began to point towards a dark haired woman in a cell, but she interrupted him.

"You freaks aren't getting anything new out of me. Just do whatever you're gonna do," she said defiantly.

Jessper looked her in the eyes coldly. She had the look of someone with too much fire in them, too much fight.

"Let me make this as plain as day. If you don't cooperate, I will kill you," he said slowly.

For a second she faltered, but quickly regained her resolve, "I'm not afraid to die."

'Liar,' Jessper didn't have to feel her lies through the force, they spoke on her face.

"Impudent to the last," Knash spoke up again, "As I was saying, she was sent to kill an Imperial spy in the Yavin system. Throughout her torture, she maintained that she was hired anonymously."

"Get it through your damn head," the woman growled, "I had no idea he was Imperial, and I don't know who hired me."

Jessper thought for a moment, "Regale me with the details of your operation. What was your chosen form of murder?"

"I didn't kill him. I was caught before I could pull it off."

"The point is, she doesn't deny her charge," Jailer Knash added his input once again.

'I sense fear in her, but I do not believe she lies. She's kept her story for this long and she's been tortured before. As much as I'd love to kill her, she could be a valuable asset for the empire,' Jessper ran through his thoughts.

"She could prove useful. Send her to Imperial intelligence."

He walked over to the mext cage as he could hear her saying, "I won't work for free, you know!"

The next man looked older, and he had a large scar on his left eye, which was accompanied by a series of metal implants in his face. He looked excited to see Jessper.

"Please, I am a fellow Sith, judge me with an open mind and grant me trial by combat, I beg you."

'Trial by combat, absurd. I don't wish to put my executions to chance.'

"There will be no such thing," Jessper then turned to address Knash, "who is this man?"

"This pile of waste is Devotek. Once a valued Sith champion, until he botched an important mission and caused a thousand Imperial deaths. Now look at him," Knash spoke with pure disgust.

Jessper didn't blame him. A man who failed at a scale this large was worth nothing to the Empire.

Devotek sounded broken, "I served faithfully for twenty-four years, then one mistake, and they threw me away. Please, let me feel the weight of a weapon once more."

Jessper scoffed, "Your weapon failed you once, it would fail you again. I'll make your death much swifter."

He reached his hand out and squeezed it as Devotek's throat slowly crushed under the power of the force. His eyes bulged and he grasped at his throat for air, but Jessper closed his hand fully and a snap could be heard as the prisoner's entire neck was crushed, and he fell limp. Without a word, he moved to the next cage.

"Glad I won't have to look at his disgusting face anymore," Knash said with a chuckle, "This last prisoner is a bit of a puzzle. He's called Brehg, and he's a jittery little wretch, suspected of supplying forged documents to Republic agents. Strangely enough, he maintains his innocence despite being severely tortured."

"That's because innocent I am! Believe me, you gotta – I had nothing to do with forging no papers. Set up. I was set up!" Brehg exclaimed, jumping up from his spot on the ground.

Jessper could tell that he was nervous, bouncing off the walls, but he couldn't get a read on him yet.

"So you've lived a clean life, with no trouble at all," Jessper said with obvious doubt.

"N-never said that. Did some time, I did, in a Republic jail for forgery, so I was the perfect candidate to implicate in this. But straight I've been since getting out. I swear!" Brehg sounded desperate and hopeless.

Jailer Knash rubbed his head, "He's never wavered from that line, and the evidence is circumstantial. I suppose it's actually possible he didn't do it."

Jessper thought for a moment. It didn't matter whether he did it or not, he provided nothing of use for the Empire, but he had also seen the Sith academy. He could never leave this place alive.

"You'll continue to sit here until you own up to your crimes," Jessper said coldly, catching the alien by surprise, "All your lies fall on deaf ears."

"P-please! You have to believe me!" Brehg was on the verge of tears now.

Jessper had no heart for the begging and turned towards the Jailer, "Thank you for your help, Knash, I'll be back to Overseer Tremel now."

"You're a real interesting one kid. I see why people are keeping tabs on you."

Jessper shrugged his shoulders and headed back down the hallway to find Tremel's chambers.

Taking his time to get back to Tremel, Jessper almost ran headfirst into a shaken looking man who seemed to have just come from Tremel's office seconds ago as he approached the door. Throwing away his mild curiosity, Tremel met him with the stern smile that he was so used to.

"You're back quickly. Let's see what you chose to do."

Tremel pulled out a datapad and clicked through it for a moment.

"The assassin, Solentz. She attempted to kill and Imperial spy but was unaware of her client's affiliation. You assigned her to Imperial Intelligence. I commend you, that was excellent thinking. Never waste a potential source." Tremel said.

Jessper nodded, "Thank you," and after thinking for a minute, he bowed.

Tremel gave him a nod back, "Darth Baras would approve."

"Now, Devotek," he continued, "the former warrior. He wanted combat, but you struck him down. Perfect. The man was utterly useless."

"My time is valuable. I do not wish to waste it on foolish spectacles of glory."

Tremel nodded in agreement, "Once something is used up, it should be eradicated."

Tremel swiped through his datapad a last time, "The final prisoner- the forger. Explain why you left him to wait in the cell."

Jessper thought this was quite obvious, "There was no concrete evidence against him, so executing him on the spot would be… wrong, in a sense. But he provides nothing for us, and wasting any further resources and time on him is a huge mistake. Allowing him to rot here is the optimal situation."

The overseer looked deep in thought for a moment and then nodded, "A wise choice. I would have subjected him to more questioning and torture, but wasting resources on his case is more of a time sink than I'd care to do."

'Maybe this man has more in his head than I thought,' Jessper mused.

Tremel set his datapad back on the desk, "You're beginning to understand what it means to be Sith, but far from being able to impress Darth Baras."

That made Jessper angry, but he knew it was true. He felt as though there was so much he didn't know, but he knew Tremel couldn't teach him any further. He was grateful to be brought here so early, but at what cost?

"I'll try harder overseer. I know I have much to learn."

"If you don't, you're doomed. Remember that. Because I forced you into the academy ahead of schedule, Darth Baras will be predisposed to judging you severely. And by severely, I mean fatally."

Jessper felt angry again. He wished he could speak to Darth Baras, tell him that he needed better teaching, more knowledge.

"I know you've been some days without sleep, but you must complete one more trial before you rest. Every moment that passes risks discovery before we're ready."

The acolyte had truthfully forgot it had been some time since he slept. He was used to not sleeping, with his stint of training on Ziost, he'd foregone sleep for a week.

"If I must, I'll go without sleep for a year to prove myself Sith."

"That is the dedication you will need to face Darth Baras. For your next trial, in the caverns of Marka Ragnos is the beast he left to guard his legacy. Go there, sit among the flames, and wait for the beast to come for you."

Jessper bowed, "I will leave this creature nothing but a bloody carcass."

Tremel turned away, "Hold nothing back. This creature is doom itself. Good luck."

As Jessper walked out of the room, he wondered exactly how strong this creature was.

'If you ask me, doom itself sounds quite dramatic.'

The taxi dropped Jessper off at a platform in the middle of the planet. He was hoping he'd be able to get dropped off a little closer, but these taxis could only go from platform to platform, so he was out of luck. The path to the tomb wasn't that far, but the heat made the trip feel 10 times longer, along with the vicious creatures that seemed to lurk behind rocks in hopes of ambushing him before he could cut them down.

When he finally reached the entrance of the tomb, he was greeted by three hooded figures standing in his way.

"Stand aside," he demanded as he approached them.

"The acolyte?" one of them spoke.

He didn't respond.

"We will redeem ourselves by bringing your body back to the academy," another said, drawing his training sword.

The other two drew their swords and he mirrored them. He could sense a strange aura coming from them, they weren't strong, but they had strong ties with the force- almost like they were being influenced by something.

Acting on the offensive, he aimed a back handed strike at one of the former acolytes. The blow caught the ex-acolyte off guard and he stumbled backwards. Jessper stabbed his blade forward before the exile could recover and buried the blade deep in the ex-acolyte's chest, withdrawing it dripping in blood as his enemy fell.

The other two hooded exiles attacked him simultaneously and he met the two blades with his one, carefully keeping a balance between the two. The three of them danced around each other, blades never leaving contact for more than a second. The other two exiles were more skilled than he expected. He was able to keep pace with them, but they constantly kept him on edge. They relentless pressed him and he was not able to make any offensive moves, only being allowed to use his own blade to keep both of theirs from cutting him in half.

When he met the two blades up high, he sent one exile flying with the force backwards into a wall and brought his blade down hard on the other, cleaving deep into their neck. He tore his blade out and lunged in the air towards the disoriented foe he'd thrown against the wall, stabbing his blade downwards through their chest.

Jessper surveyed the three bodies, sheathing his blade again after wiping it clean. For some reason, these three kills felt very satisfying. His bloodlust was still not quenched as he made his way into the tomb.

This tomb's design was not as complicated as the first one. He navigated through this one in under 20 minutes and soon found himself standing in front of the largest room, presumably holding the casket. He found this to be true and he descended the steps and saw the giant, half destroyed casket sitting across from a massive slab of stone engraved in a language he did not recognize. Blue flames glowed in torches surrounding the carving, eerily lighting up the room.

"Sit among the flames, and wait for the beast to approach you," he repeated Tremel's words.

He walked up the small flight of stairs, feeling the intense warmth of the flames now, and approached the carving. Jessper got to his knees, sat down on the back of them, closed his eyes, and he became one with the force.

It had been some time since he meditated, as he had not done this since he'd been on the planet, but it felt as natural as always. Time seemed to become meaningless as he sat there and he didn't know exactly how long it was when a crash shook the entire room behind him. Quickly, he came to his senses and turned around, drawing his blade.

The creature that faced him was an abomination beyond anything he had ever seen. It loomed over him with massive tusks and sharp claws, it's mouth filled with rows of sharp teeth seemed to be drooling at the sight of the acolyte. The deep growl it gave shook the room again, causing rubble to fall down from the ceiling. Beyond that, the dark power Jessper felt from this creature was more than anything he'd felt before. The massive being seemed to have a massive attachment to the force that matched its size.

Without warning the creature sprung at him, claws first, and Jessper had less than a second to dive out of the way. The monster smashed headfirst into the carving, shattering it to pieces and shaking the room once again. Unfazed, it dove at Jessper again, but he was ready. He sidestepped far, giving himself room for error, and took a hard swipe at the monster's side as he flew by. The creature growled in pain and he turned back towards Jessper in anger. It sent a clawed hand flying towards the acolyte and he rolled under it, sticking his sword into the beast's belly and cutting downwards. The beast cried out in agony and slammed his fists down, narrowly missing Jessper by inches.

Behind the monster now, he slashed deep into its back, drawing out another scream of agony and causing the beast to spin around and slash his claws in the spot where Jessper was. The acolyte leapt backwards, empowering himself with the force and flew backwards. He pointed his hand towards the top of the room and brought shards of rubble crashing down on the creature's head, making it stumble backwards.

Jessper started towards the monster with a killing blow in mind, but the beast was too fast. It steadied itself and dove at Jessper again, forcing him to leap out of the way, using the force to throw himself to the ground faster. The monsters claws now seemed to be stuck in the ground behind him momentarily and Jessper knew this was his opportunity. He leaped high in the air, aiming his blade at the monster's neck.

But the monster was clever.

It ripped its claws out the ground and caught the acolyte full force with the back of its hand. The blow sent him flying through the air and crashing into the wall behind him with an impact so strong, it caused the room to give a slight tremor. Jessper fell to the ground, completely dazed, every inch of his body filled with searing pain. He couldn't move a muscle, he couldn't clear his mind, everything was spinning in front of him.

He struggled to open his eyes and he could barely see the form of the creature towering over him, mouth watering again. He couldn't die here, he just couldn't. He wouldn't die to a beast of all things. He wouldn't die before he was Sith. Nothing in this world could stop him, not even a monster of the Force like this.

Jessper gathered every bit of pain, the fear, the pure hatred he felt for this monster, and he unleashed it. Blue, crackling, electrical energy that he had never seen before flowed from his fingertips and struck the monster dead on as he pointed his hands at the monster, no longer feeling the pain from his energy.

But the beast was unfazed. It continued to lower its sharp claws, ready to reach out and grab the acolyte lying on the ground.

Jessper felt more. He tried harder. He hated more. As he slowly stood up, the lightning intensified, sprouting more branches, growing larger and nearly enveloping the creature. The electricity slowly turned from a light blue into a deep purple color in seconds. Jessper felt his rage growing stronger, his hatred thriving with each passing second. The lightning intensified and the beast fell to the ground, howling in agony. Jessper didn't let up. The creature was smoking now, still crying out in pain and Jessper could smell him burning. Waves of electricity tortured the beast as it shook and convulsed its massive limbs in pain on the ground.

He continued channeling the lightning long after the creature had silenced. When he had finally finished, the monstrosity was nothing more than a badly burned, smoking, husk of its former self. Jessper fell to his knees, now feeling the pain of his injuries again, and feeling even more drained from using so much power.

Through all the pain, he shivered. The shockwave he felt through force when the monster had died was beyond anything he felt before, and he knew that others would feel it too.

He knew now that he would catch everyone's attention.


End file.
